


nothing is scarier than having a crush

by skell



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-03
Updated: 2016-01-03
Packaged: 2018-05-11 09:51:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5623093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skell/pseuds/skell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It isn't exactly a horror movie, but it still plays with your head a bit, you know?"</p><p>Yamaguchi's explanation piques Tsukishima's interest, and everything goes downhill from there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	nothing is scarier than having a crush

His feet crush the leaves that cover the sidewalk, punctuating his steps with a crunch that he can't quite hear. The cool air nips at his nose, and he shoves his hands in his pockets in an attempt to keep warm. He matches his pace with the beat that blares in his ears, but when he sees a familiar face just past a low grey fence, he lowers his headphones instinctively. The weight of it rests comfortably around his neck, effectively shielding his nape from the cold.

"Good morning, Tsukki!"

"Morning," he greets. He waits for the other boy to join him on the street, and once he gets a good look of his face, he begins to find it difficult to keep in his own smile. "You look awful, Yamaguchi."

"I didn't get much sleep," Yamaguchi answers shyly. "I stayed up watching a movie."

Tsukishima scoffs.

"It was scary, okay? It's about a mom and her son," Yamaguchi says, stumbling on his own words as he did with his own steps to catch up to Tsukishima. He gestures with his hands in the air as he explains, "and there was this— this book, that was kind of about a monster, and it was real but kind of not…"

Yamaguchi trails off. Tsukishima gives the other boy a moment to articulate himself better, but the moment comes and goes.

"Is it really that good?"

"It is!" Yamaguchi lights up again. "It isn't exactly a horror movie, but it still plays with your head a bit, you know?"

He raises his brows in interest, but quickly calms his expression before saying, "Do you think you'd be able to handle it better if you watched it again?"

His friend visibly pales from the question. "Uh, maybe. I don't know, Tsukki."

"I see," he replies, focusing his eyes back onto the roads before them.

Yamaguchi leans forward a bit, to the point that Tsukishima could see his freckled face from the corner of his eye. He feels Yamaguchi's gaze on him, and Tsukishima turns just in time to see a smile grow on his friend's lips.

"Wanna watch it with me, Tsukki?"

"Uh."

"There were actually some parts that I didn't really understand. The movie was kind of vague about some things," his friend adds. "I'm sure Tsukki would be able to interpret it better than I did."

"That's only if it'd keep me interested enough to watch the entire thing," he blurts.

"Oh, don't worry. It will," Yamaguchi assures. "When would you like to come over?"

"Saturday, maybe?" he says nonchalantly. "It wouldn't be enjoyable for you to re-watch the movie so soon, right?"

"I wouldn't mind," his friend answers, "but Saturday sounds nice."

"Do you think your parents would be okay with it? We can watch it in my place instead."

"I'm sure mom wouldn't mind. Dad's been asking about why he hasn't seen you lately, too. They like having you over."

Tsukishima shrugs. "If you say so."

"Nice. I guess I'll try not to spoil the movie for you until then," Yamaguchi says with a smile. "Ah, but, okay, this isn't much of a spoiler since it's on the trailer anyway, so—"

As Yamaguchi goes on with his unsolicited rambling, Tsukishima wonders why he continues to listen to the freckled boy rather than back to his music.

It's only a brief thought, but it's still one that crosses his mind— perhaps he enjoys the sound of Yamaguchi's voice. It's not like that has to mean anything. Somehow, it isn't an answer that strikes him as strange, either.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

The sound of a bell's ringing echoes through the halls. Almost immediately after they greet their teacher farewell, he finds Yamaguchi leaving his seat to join him at his desk. Their bento boxes spread out neatly before them, and their mouths are busy in conversation instead of eating. They don't talk about anything particularly important, but the way Yamaguchi looks on intently as he speaks and the ease he feels when he responds to his friend are enough to keep him in the moment.

As a consequence of their height, their legs start to tangle under the table, but the contact between knees and calves is familiar — a little more of a comfort rather than an inconvenience. His limbs develop cramps as the moments stretch on, and he begins to feel the need to shake them off. In the process of stretching his legs, he accidentally kicks away Yamaguchi's foot, and the other boy wastes no time in kicking back. They start going back and forth with their feet without affecting or acknowledging it in their conversation. The arrangement gets kind of distracting after a while, especially when they start to giggle out of place mid-sentence.

"Yamaguchi!"

The freckled boy turns his head to the source of the sound, and Tsukishima follows the other's line of sight out of curiosity.

By the doorway of their classroom stands a boy with bright hair and a washed-out expression, and Tsukishima frowns as he watches him walk towards his table.

"Hinata, couldn't you have waited until practice to bother us?" he says as he adjusts his eyeglasses.

Hinata ignores him and looms over his companion instead. "Yamaguchi, I watched that movie you talked about yesterday."

"What? During class hours?" the freckled boy asks and his face scrunches up in worry.

"Not really," Hinata replies quickly. "I watched a bit of it last night before going to bed, but that was a huge mistake. I continued before coming to school and again over recess, and I finally managed to finish it a few minutes ago."

The freckled boy smiles sheepishly as he asks, "So what did you think about it?"

"I'm glad I watched most of it during the daytime," the boy says with a shake of his head. "But I still think I'm going to have nightmares about it tonight."

"Was it really that bad?" Tsukishima asks.

"It's so good," Hinata corrects. His forehead wrinkles further as he says, "I don't want to touch a book for a while."

"That's not going to be much of a problem for you, is it?" the blond laughs.

"I didn't get the ending though," Hinata continues. "Like what was up with those—"

"Ah! We can talk about that later," Yamaguchi interrupts. He waves his hands before him as he says, "Tsukki's watching the movie with me tomorrow, so I don't want to ruin the story for him."

Hinata juts out his lower lip in a pout. "Eh?"

"You guys can talk," Tsukishima shrugs. "I won't mind."

The other boy beams at the response and sets both of his palms flat on Tsukishima's desk. "So, Yamaguchi, about those worms—"

Yamaguchi brings his forearms to shield his body, crossing them in such a way that they formed an 'X' between him and Hinata. "No, no, it can wait!"

Hinata groans. He trains his eyes to the desk before him and swiftly snatches the last egg roll from Tsukishima's lunch box as he exclaims, "Fine! I'll take this as a penalty for making me wait."

"What?!" Tsukishima says, his voice slipping to a higher pitch. "Why'd you get my food? This was Yamaguchi's idea, you should've gotten his!"

Yamaguchi chuckles as he wraps his chopsticks around some meat and vegetables. "Sorry, Tsukki. You can have some of mine instead."

Hinata tilts his head to the side. "Huh?"

Yamaguchi extends his arm to Tsukishima and brings his free hand slightly below the other boy's chin as he says, "Here."

Some bits of rice threatened to fall from the clump of food offered to him, and Tsukishima opens his mouth without hesitation in order to save it.

"Does it taste okay?" the freckled boy asks as he brought his arms back to his sides. "I had to make my own lunch today, and I didn't have time to make anything better."

"It's fine," Tsukishima answers as he wipes the back of his hand against his lips.

The scene causes Hinata to clutch his stomach. "Oh boy. Do you guys have to be so close? I should go. I haven't had anything yet at all."

Yamaguchi looks at the shorter boy and says, "Really? You should hurry, then. There's only five minutes left in our lunch break."

"What?! Really?" Hinata says as his eyes widen. He scurries towards the door as he shouts out a distant, "Bye!"

Although Hinata hastily leaves their classroom, the ideas he'd planted into Tsukishima's head continue to blossom. Is it possible that he's too close with Yamaguchi? It almost feels like they've always been this close, though. But is it weird to be fed by your closest friend?

That was the first time he truly considered it—

Maybe Yamaguchi is spoiling him.

His cheeks feel hot. It's kind of an embarrassing thought.

He quickly packs away his lunchbox. He feels Yamaguchi's eyes on him again.

So maybe it was weird. It's not like he minded it. He can't say he minds it at all. And yet even as the afternoon classes are already well underway, his mind still continues to drift to thoughts of Yamaguchi from time to time.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

The gym is filled with the overwhelming humidity and smell of sweat that could only be tolerated by a group of sportspeople. The Karasuno team is in the middle of practice, with shoes squeaking against floors and cheers booming within the walls. The coach calls for a break, to which the members gratefully comply.

Tsukishima walks to the side of the court, and Yamaguchi trails behind him. Both of their bodies are drenched and radiating with heat, but despite that Tsukishima doesn't think anything of it when Yamaguchi chooses to stand close when they pick out their water bottles.

Tsukishima angles the bottle against his lips, tilting it higher and higher until he strains his neck. He promptly reverts back to a normal position and massages his nape.

Yamaguchi parts with his own water bottle, and he begins to wipe his face with a towel. He's clearly exhausted from the set he'd just participated in, but even so he expends his breath to say, "Ah, is yours empty already, Tsukki?"

"Yeah," he nods. "I think I'll just go get another one from Yachi."

"You can drink the rest of mine," the freckled boy says as he offers his water bottle to Tsukishima. "We can refill our bottles together later."

"Thanks," Tsukishima replies.

He opens the cap and brings it to his mouth. The opening already feels wet, and it strikes him as a bit odd. He reasons to himself that it might have just been from the water, but another possibility presented itself to him. It catches him so off-guard that it puts a stop to all his mental functions, and his throat closes up to the point that he almost chokes.

What if it was Yamaguchi's saliva?

Yamaguchi immediately brings a hand to his back and rubs calming circles over Tsukishima's shirt as he says, "Tsukki, are you alright?"

Once his coughing subsides, Tsukishima nods.

"Okay," Yamaguchi says with a smile. "Is there still some water left?"

"Yeah."

Without hesitation, Yamaguchi brings the bottle back into his own lips and begins to drink. There's a slight blush that dusts over Yamaguchi's freckled cheeks, and Tsukishima looks on, feeling conflicted.

They'd always shared drinks when they were younger, and it was never much of a concern. So why is it only now that he feels like someone's doing somersaults in his stomach? Is it because he thought that they might've had an indirect kiss?

"So would you be able to come over tonight?" Yamaguchi asks as he closes his bottle cap. His lips glisten with leftover moisture, and he uses his towel to wipe away the excess.

It takes a split second for Tsukishima to realize that he'd just been spoken to, and he clears his throat.

"Yeah, my mom said it was okay," he replies. "I just need to go home first to leave my things."

"Is it okay if I go with you?"

Yamaguchi looks at him expectantly, and Tsukishima couldn't find it in him to refuse.  
  


 

* * *

 

 

 

"Good evening, Tadashi," his mother says as they pass her by the halls. "I hope Kei hasn't been causing you too much trouble."

"Nothing out of the usual, auntie," his best friend replies with a smile.

"Will you boys be staying for dinner?" she asks.

"Ah, we're actually going now," Kei replies. "Yamaguchi's dad said he'd be cooking, so I hope it's okay if we'd pass for tonight."

"That's fine," his mother answers. "You two go enjoy yourselves!"

"Bye, mom," he says as he slips on his shoes.

"Bye, auntie!" Yamaguchi says shortly after.

"Kei, don't forget to be back before midnight."

"All right," he calls out when he leaves through the door, which he keeps open while Yamaguchi passes through.

"Ah, I didn't know you had a curfew this time," Yamaguchi says as they walk towards the direction of his home.

"Yeah. Nii-chan had to borrow my spare key, so I couldn't come and go as I'd like."

"That's okay," Yamaguchi smiles as he readjusts the straps of his book bag. "I don't want to watch the movie really late at night either. It wouldn't be fun if we had to contain our shouting."

" _Our?_ " Tsukishima says with a raised brow.

"You don't have to fool me, Tsukki," his friend says with a wave of his hand. "We both know how immersed you get whenever we watch movies. Remember that time we watched Jaws?"

"Yamaguchi. We were kids then," he defends sternly.

"You reacted just as intensely when we watched Jurassic World at the cinema," Yamaguchi grins so widely, Tsukishima feels like the other boy's cheeks must have been aching by then. "It's been a while since we've watched something scary. I'm surprised you even wanted to watch this with me."

"You suggested it."

"Ah, right, right, I did," Yamaguchi says, nodding along with his words. "Don't worry. I'll warn you about the scarier parts beforehand."

A sour look graces his face as he says, "You're sure about that?"

"I promise!"

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Tsukishima reclines on Yamaguchi's bed, idly browsing the internet through his phone as he waits for his friend to return into the room. He immerses himself into reading an article about the opah. It isn't the first time he's read up on the warmblooded moonfish, but he finds it interesting to review the facts and findings. He slowly sinks into the bed cushion before finally flopping onto his stomach, browsing through pages until he reaches articles about "The Top Ten Fluffiest Dog Breeds," "Must-try Desserts in Asia," and even a quiz on "What animal are you most like?"

When Yamaguchi finally enters the room, there's a towel around his shoulders, and his hands are wrapped around a bowl of popcorn and a mysterious plastic bag.

"Sorry, I took longer on the toilet than I thought I would," Yamaguchi says as he sits on the edge of the bed, his hip directly next to Tsukishima's.

Tsukishima chuckles as he says, "I won't enter the bathroom for a bit then."

Yamaguchi sports a smile as he replies, "That'd be a good idea. You know how it is."

"Disgusting," he complains as he brings his elbows closer to his body and makes a face. It makes Yamaguchi laugh.

"Should we watch the movie on the TV or should I move my laptop to the bed so we can watch it there?"

"Eh, I don't really feel like moving…"

"Laptop it is," Yamaguchi nods. He passes the bowl of popcorn and plastic bag to Tsukishima before lifting himself from the mattress and walking over to his computer desk. He unplugs the charger from its usual sockets and transfers it to an outlet that's closer to the bed. "You can start eating already if you want, Tsukki."

Tsukishima couldn't even reply. He's already stuffing his mouth with a handful of snacks from the bag Yamaguchi had given him.

Yamaguchi lets out a chuckle when he catches Tsukishima with cheeks slightly deformed from the sweets he'd shoved in his mouth. "You can take your time eating those. I got them just for you, anyway."

"You won't be eating anything?" he asks once he'd swallowed his food.

"Oh, I am," Yamaguchi says as he sets the laptop up before them. "But the strawberry cheesecake KitKats are free for you to take."

Yamaguchi settles comfortably next to Tsukishima, and he's close enough for their arms to touch. They're both lying on their stomachs, and there isn't any room left on the bed for them to have more personal space. Tsukishima immediately picks up a strong scent of strawberries — it's the artificial kind, but the hints of cream makes it seem almost pleasant. It fills his nose but it doesn't burn, and he kind of wants to own a pillow that'd bear the same fragrance. He can't shake off the feeling that the smell is coming from Yamaguchi— is it his soap? His shampoo? Why does he even want to know? He feels sick in his stomach again. Maybe he shouldn't have eaten so much so quickly.

"I've already loaded the movie, so we can start whenever you want," Yamaguchi says. "Should I switch off the lights?"

Tsukishima purses his lips as he considers things.

Yamaguchi suggests, "I can keep my desk lamp on?"

"I guess just a lamp should be fine."

"All right, I'll be back," Yamaguchi nods. He rolls off the bed to adjust the room's lighting before quickly bouncing back onto the mattress. The bed wobbles from the weight and catches Tsukishima off guard, and some of his chocolate bits end up on the bed.

"Ah, sorry."

"No, that's fine. We can just dust it off later," Yamaguchi says.

In the dimmed lighting, Yamaguchi's features seem softer and rounder. He looks away from his friend's face and instead squints at the laptop screen as Yamaguchi navigates to the movie file.

Yamaguchi opens the movie and immediately pauses it, taking a moment to breathe in deeply. "Okay. I'll be starting it now, Tsukki."

"All right."

The screen turns to black. Foreign characters flash on the screen.

"Oh, it's a western film?" he says, almost disappointed. "Are those even any scary?"

"I already told you this isn't a horror movie," Yamaguchi says, voice barely above a whisper. He reaches over to the bowl of popcorn positioned directly before and in between them and the laptop.

Colourful logos morph around the screen until a pale-haired woman takes center stage. A bright light illuminates her reddened face, and her shoulders rise and fall from her laboured breathing. Her body is thrown from left to right, as though she is being shaken in slow motion. Finally her limp body begins to fall, but she lands safely onto her bed. She is awakened by the frantic voice of a young boy. Characters dance along the subtitles as the woman and the child speak in soft tones — they seem to be looking for something under the bed and inside a closet. They start reading a picture book, and it looks like an innocent bedtime story.

The scene fades to morning, and the day starts to unfold. It's mostly uneventful in terms of scare factor. Tsukishima simply notices an emotional distance between the mother and her son, a kind of distance he doesn't feel when Yamaguchi rests his head on his shoulder.

Bedtime rolls around again, and the young boy in the screen plucks a plain red storybook from a shelf. The tale begins innocently enough, with fun cues that allow the readers to interact with its contents. But ominous music begins to play as the story grows grim, and Tsukishima discreetly turns away from the screen. 

He huddles a bit closer to Yamaguchi. He hopes Yamaguchi doesn't notice the shift in position, but the freckled boy rubs his cheek against his shoulder, placing a comforting weight on his body. Tsukishima immediately closes his eyes shut and lowers his head slightly, anticipating the music to change beat or for Yamaguchi's body to tense or for _any_  cue to tell him that the ordeal had come and gone, but moments pass and the dialogue sombers before anything actually happens.

"Tsukki, there isn't anything scary in this part."

"Hmmn."

Yamaguchi gently grabs his wrist and tugs it. "Come on. She doesn't say the story out loud, so you have to look at the screen to understand the story she's reading."

He reluctantly peers at the screen through his eyelashes. The woman in the movie turns the page, and a dark figure pops up from the paper.

Electricity shoots down his spine. His breath catches in his throat. The monster's large eyes and sharp teeth look anything but endearing, and it's a look that definitely doesn't belong in a children's book. Tsukishima grabs onto something—anything that could root his body in the present—and he lets out a scream.

He knows Yamaguchi is shouting with him, too. He can feel the rumble of Yamaguchi's voice echoing in his skull as he burrows his head against Yamaguchi's chest. Tsukishima makes no move to turn away, but Yamaguchi holds him tightly in place anyway. The freckled boy's quickening heartbeat matches his own, but all at once they are quiet again, and the drawing of the monster and the music have faded away, and Tsukishima is breathing, he's breathing, and his breaths come jagged through his mouth.

The only sound in the room is that of Yamaguchi's laughter.

"What was that?" Yamaguchi says through his giggling. His cheeks are flushed and his smile is infectious, or at least it would've been if Tsukishima felt capable enough to smile. Yamaguchi's grip is loose enough for Tsukishima to break free on his own, but the blond is too stunned to move away. Yamaguchi adjusts his arm and for a moment it feels like he's petting Tsukishima's hair, and it makes Tsukishima's heart hiccup in his chest. "I'm sorry, Tsukki, was that scary for you already?"

"Shut up, Yamaguchi," he mumbles.

He awkwardly shrugs away from Yamaguchi. He glances down and finds popcorn everywhere, and he sees that his tense knuckles had grown bone white. It doesn't occur to him at first, but the hand that Yamaguchi had used to grip his wrist has now entwined tightly with his fingers. In the confusion, had he reached for Yamaguchi or had Yamaguchi offered his hand to him? He attempts loosening his grip, but it only seemed to make Yamaguchi tighten his own hold more.

The movie plays on. Several times, the background music is enough to make his blood run cold. He knows that Yamaguchi could feel his hands shake, but his friend doesn't point it out, and instead uses his thumb to rub patterns against the back of his hand to distract Tsukishima.

Tsukishima hadn't had the time to evaluate the intimacy of the situation while they were happening in real time. He is instead constantly replaying, reviewing, and reassessing those events in his head as he lies on his own large futon in the comfort of his home. He tosses and turns, throwing his bedsheets in disarray. Emotions and reality start to mix and confuse him. He convinces himself that he's merely trying to distract from thoughts of the movie and its demons, but just thinking about the warmth of Yamaguchi's palm makes him lose sleep.

He fumbles for his eyeglasses and gropes around for his phone. He refuses to open his eyes until he's switched his nightlight on. He avoids glancing at corners and looking over his shoulder as he shrugs on a jacket and leaves his room.

He decides to take a walk in order to level his mind, considering how sleep has started to sound like a futile endeavor, but now every sound reminds him of something else, and the movement of shadows only invites feelings of unrest. He immediately regrets his predicament when he yelps at a glistening black garbage bag, mistaking its rustling in the wind for something more sinister. His pulse races as he starts sprinting down the block. He gingerly takes out the phone he'd pocketed in his jacket and presses the number 4.

He's passed three more houses when the dial tone finally stops.

"Tsukki?"

"Did I wake you?" he asks.

"No," the other boy whispers. "What's wrong? You sound breathless."

"I couldn't sleep."

"Me neither."

"Can I come over?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah, sure."

"Good," Tsukishima replies as he comes to a stop just before a house with a low grey fence. "I'm already outside your house."

"W-what?" Yamaguchi sputters. "Seriously? O-okay, just give me a second."

He hears shuffling and footsteps, and the sounds are slightly delayed from the faint noises he could hear in real time. He sees the door of Yamaguchi's house open and close, and soon enough his best friend, clad only in a thin shirt and boxer shorts, is sliding the gates open and joining him on the sidewalk.

"You should've given me more time to prepare," Yamaguchi as he locks the gate behind him out of instinct. "You wouldn't have had to wait outside if you did."

"It's not like I waited for too long."

"But it's cold out."

"It's fine," Tsukishima grumbles. His chest feels strange. Why did he immediately think of seeing Yamaguchi? Why did Yamaguchi always worry so much? Why did Yamaguchi always worry about him in particular? Wasn't this kind of—

"Did you want to talk for a bit?" Yamaguchi asks, and it takes Tsukishima out of his thoughts.

"Actually, I was thinking of spending the night."

"Don't you think your mom would worry if she doesn't find you at home in the morning?" his friend says as he crosses his arms before him.

"I'm sure she'll just call your parents and find out anyway."

"What are you going to let them tell her then?"

"I don't know. I'll worry about that when it happens," he replies with a shrug.

"You could've just went to Akiteru-kun's room if you didn't want to sleep alone tonight," Yamaguchi adds with a sleepy smile.

"And give him another reason to tease me until I die? How about no," Tsukishima says with a shake of his head. He lets out a sigh as he says, "I'm sorry. I'll go home if you'd rather not."

"It's okay, Tsukki, I was just teasing you, too," the freckled boy grins. He raises his shoulders slightly as he starts to shiver. "Come, let's go in. I'm starting to freeze."

"You should've at least worn a—"

The lights in the living room flicker on, and Yamaguchi's eyes widen.

Tsukishima turns towards the house and whispers, "Is anyone awake?"

"That might be my dad," Yamaguchi answers. In the distance, a hunched over shadow slowly moves across the windows. "Lately, he keeps waking up in the middle of the night to do work that he'd forgotten to finish."

_Click._

"…Oh no."

"Oh no?" Tsukishima repeats.

"That was the door," Yamaguchi says. "I think he locked us out."

"No way."

"It's okay, we don't need to panic," Yamaguchi says with a pained expression.

"Yeah, let's just knock on your door—"

"And wake up the entire house?" the boy hisses. "How am I going to explain to my dad that I was locked out of the house way past my bedtime? Do you even want him to find out that a movie scared the both of us from sleeping?"

Tsukishima doesn't even offer an excuse.

"Maybe we should just go to your house," Yamaguchi suggests.

"I don't have my key, remember?"

"Ah, crud," Yamaguchi says with a click of his tongue. He draws his arms closer to himself as he glares at his house. "Do you think you can carry me, Tsukki?"

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

For one, he's glad that Yamaguchi is in a position where he couldn't see his face.

He crouches on the ground as Yamaguchi stands behind him, and the seconds that Yamaguchi spends positioning himself atop his shoulders feel like an absolute eternity. The insides of Yamaguchi's thighs press against the sides of his face and they feel so soft, so warm, so _weird_. Tsukishima can't hear anything but his own heartbeat. He sets his shaky hands around Yamaguchi's ankles and his limbs feel weaker than they normally do, but he still strives to stand on his two feet. He loses balance fairly quickly, and he hears a strained squeak from above him as he feels fingers threading tightly into his hair.

"T-Tsukki, wait—"

Yamaguchi grips harder and it sends his heart on a rollercoaster ride. But he can feel Yamaguchi start to slip— the other boy's knees had already begun to inch closer towards Tsukishima's face— and Tsukishima instinctively grabs onto Yamaguchi's thighs and pulls him back. The freckled boy wraps an arm around the crown of Tsukishima's head, and the blond could feel the other boy struggle.

"A-Are you okay?" Tsukishima asks. The cold air bites into his exposed skin, but his cheeks feel like they've been set on fire.

"Can you move closer to the wall? I can't reach the top level yet."

"Okay," he says as he walks towards the house.

"Good, this is perfect," Yamaguchi says. "You can let go of me now, Tsukki."

"Huh?"

"I can't move if you keep gripping my legs like that."

"O-oh, right," Tsukishima says as he loosens his hold.

Yamaguchi shifts his weight and stands on Tsukishima's shoulders, and it strains Tsukishima's muscles to keep supporting the other boy's weight, but he bites into the insides of his cheeks as Yamaguchi lifts himself and balances over the top ledge of a window on the lower level of the house.

"T-Tsukki, can you hold me—"

Tsukishima raises his arms to Yamaguchi's hips — it's the furthest he could reach — and waits for Yamaguchi to step on a nearby air conditioner box and push himself closer to the windowsill of his bedroom. The window doesn't budge. Yamaguchi's hips rock from side to side in Tsukishima's hands as the freckled boy struggles to slide the window with enough force to open yet still remain silent. When Yamaguchi's efforts are finally successful and a telltale thud marks the freckled boy's arrival in the room, Tsukishima sighs in relief.

Yamaguchi's smiling face quickly peers out of the window. The redness of his freckled cheeks is highlighted even in the pale moonlight.

"Tsukki, it's your turn," he whispers.

Tsukishima gulps, but his throat feels too dry to actually swallow anything down. He stares at his shaky fingers and begins to doubt himself. What if he loses his footing? What if he falls? What if—

"Don't worry," Yamaguchi calls to him again. "I'll help you up."

"How?" Tsukishima mutters, and his voice is so faint, he hopes the night air is enough to lift his words to where they need to be.

"Trust me," his friend says. "Once you get one foot on the ledge, just reach up and I'll carry you in."

"Do you even have the strength to carry me?" Tsukishima whines.

"We'll work off your momentum!" Yamaguchi reassures. "Don't worry, if we fail, your butt will cushion your fall anyway."

"Easy for you to say that," Tsukishima groans as he grips his hands on the top ledge of the window directly below Yamaguchi's bedroom's. He takes a deep breath before he attempts to lift himself up. He struggles to plant his foot on the windowsill and he feels himself slipping off.

"Tsukki, come on! Step on the air conditioner!"

"What if it breaks?"

"Better that than your spine!"

Tsukishima's arms begin to ache as he lifts his other leg on top of the air conditioner box. It's an awkward position, and he feels a strain in his thighs with each second he tries to hold the pose. He transfers just enough of his weight onto the box in order to lift himself. He looks up and sees Yamaguchi reaching out to him, and he instinctively raises an arm up for Yamaguchi to grab. Yamaguchi's grip is stronger than he expected, and it is enough leverage to help him bring his other foot onto the top ledge of the window. His entire body feels tense but he's high up enough to see into Yamaguchi's room, and the freckled boy wraps himself around Tsukishima's torso to quickly pull him in. They topple onto the floor.

The both of them groan in pain. It takes a moment for the ache to subside. When it does, Tsukishima brings both of his hands on either side of Yamaguchi's head and attempts to push himself off of the floor, but his heart stops beating when he's face to face with his best friend.

Yamaguchi's cheeks are flushed as he bubbles up with laughter. His hot breath tickles Tsukishima's lips.

"I can't believe you agreed to do that, Tsukki."

"W-What?"

"My heart's beating so fast," Yamaguchi says breathlessly. He brings a hand to clutch at his chest as he adds, "I was so worried you'd fall. That was so dangerous! We should've thought of something better." 

Tsukishima moves to sit next to Yamaguchi, and the freckled boy props his elbows on the floor before bringing himself off the ground. Tsukishima covers the lower half of his face with his hands, and he shakily breathes against his frozen fingers.

"Ah, are you okay, Tsukki?" Yamaguchi asks, eyes quickly studying Tsukishima's expression. "Did you get hurt somewhere?"

"I'm fine. Just cold," he mutters, and he hopes to high heaven that Yamaguchi doesn't notice his voice crack.

Yamaguchi smiles. He brings his hands over Tsukishima's and says, "Me too."

"Hey," Tsukishima groans.

He motions his hands to shoo away Yamaguchi's cold fingers, but the freckled boy takes his hands in his and rubs them together as he blew into them.

Tsukishima feels his entire body heat up.

"W-Why do you keep doing stuff like this..."

"Huh?" Yamaguchi asks as he continues to rub their hands together.

"Don't you think this is a bit too much?" Tsukishima asks, but he doesn't pull his hands away.

"Do you think so?" Yamaguchi says. He lowers their hands and says, "If you don't like it, then I'll stop."

"Do  _you_ like doing these things?"

"I-I guess," Yamaguchi says as he rubs the back of his neck. "I mean, why would I do them if I didn't?"

Tsukishima feels like there's lava running through his veins. "Why do you even do them?"

"We're friends, aren't we? Isn't that reason enough?" the boy replies. A smile returns on his face as he says, "Besides, it's worth to be close to you to see all the subtle expressions that you make."

"Huh?" Tsukishima asks. His eyebrows furrow together as he says, "Wh-what kind of expressions?"

"Kind of like this," Yamaguchi replies as he looks to the ground and closes his mouth into a small smile. He quickly bursts into laughter and attempts to keep a stoic face as he laces his fingers on his lap and tries to stay still enough to pout. "Or like this."

"There's no way that I'd look like that."

"I don't do them justice," Yamaguchi defends. "They're too cute for me to imitate."

"W-w-what?" Tsukishima stutters. "No way, you're the cute one!"

"Huh?" Yamaguchi says, and his cheeks grow redder than Tsukishima's ever seen them.

Tsukishima looks away. His heart's beating fast enough as it is, and looking into Yamaguchi's eyes would only make him even more breathless.

He hears soft laughter before Yamaguchi says, "It's too bad you only ever show this side of you when we're alone, Tsukki."

"S-shut up already," he whispers. "J-just forget what I said, let's just go to sleep."

"Okay," Yamaguchi replies. "I hadn't prepared the guest futon yet though because I wasn't expecting you to stop by."

"It's okay. I'll sleep on the floor."

"What? No way, Tsukki," Yamaguchi frowned. "You should use the bed."

"Like I'd let you—"

The moonlight that has been streaming into the room is momentarily obscured by a dark shroud that floats past the window. Tsukishima immediately takes Yamaguchi's hand into his. A loud creaking noise echoes from the hallway, and the room is dead silent even long after it had faded away.

Yamaguchi gives Tsukishima's hand a tight squeeze before he stands up, shuts his window closed, and quickly draws the curtains.

"Tsukki, let's just share the bed."

"You're right, that'd be fine,"  Tsukishima nods as he wobbles back to his feet.

Tsukishima takes the spot closest to the wall — if he'd taken the other side, Yamaguchi was sure to kick him off the bed before sunrise — and even though he's huddled close enough to feel the wall's texture, it's still not far enough to _not_ feel Yamaguchi's overwhelming presence next to him. It doesn't help much that they had to share the same blanket. The close proximity is suffocating, and he can't seem to calm himself down enough to even think about something else, and he starts debating whether to just give Yamaguchi the whole blanket when he feels something against his feet.

A shock runs through his system and he lets out a cry. "Oy, your feet are cold!"

"Sorry, Tsukki," Yamaguchi apologizes. "Please warm them up for me for a bit."

"Go put on some socks or something," he hisses back.

"I'm too scared to leave the bed," the boy whimpers. "Would you get some for me?"

"I don't want to either," Tsukishima groans.

"Then just endure it for a bit."

Tsukishima purses his lips. He keeps his eyes shut as he slowly feels Yamaguchi's feet warm up against his skin. He remains stock still even as he begins to hear Yamaguchi's breathing start to level out.

His limbs start to ache from the position, but he has no more room to move. He furrows his brows and wills himself to sleep. His temples start to throb and yet nothing happens, and his frenzied thoughts do little to soothe him.

He slowly opens his eyes, and he feels the worst headache he's ever had in ages. He turns over and feels both relief and envy as he sees Yamaguchi looking so peaceful, with his mouth slightly open as his chest rises and falls in steady breaths.

Even without his eyeglasses, he could clearly point out the various marks on Yamaguchi's features. There are bumps and scars on his hands, testimonies of how hard he's been practicing volleyball. Freckles and pimple scars pepper his face, and Tsukishima resists the urge to run his fingers over them. He could make out the faint scratch by the boy's eyebrow— a memento from when he'd fallen down a flight of stairs when they were younger. Their faces are so close, Tsukishima feels like he'd only need an inch of confidence before their lips would meet. Tsukishima's chest feels tight. He begins to wonder — just how long has Yamaguchi been in his life? How much longer are they going to stay as friends?

"You know what's scarier than that movie?" he whispers to no one in particular. "It's the fact that I've started to have a crush on you."

"Pfft."

Yamaguchi brings a hand before his mouth as he lets out a chuckle, and Tsukishima feels his soul leaving his body.

"Y-You're awake?"

"It's hard to sleep when the person you like is right next to you, don't you think?" Yamaguchi replies, and his smile is so breathtaking that Tsukishima could only stutter incoherently in response.

"E-eh..."

"You don't have any plans later, do you, Tsukki?" Yamaguchi whispers. "Do you want to go somewhere together?"

Tsukishima can't control the smile on his face when he replies, "Okay. No movies, though."

**Author's Note:**

> Gotta start the year right with some TsukkiYama *shakes fist* Also, it's 2AM for me now, so if I made any mistakes, I'M SO SORRY... Thank you for reading either way!! ;v; 
> 
> * Yamaguchi (and later Hinata and Tsukishima) watched the movie "The Babadook." Thank you Gab (@[yamyamfan](https://twitter.com/yamyamfan)) for recommending the movie to me! 
> 
> * Many interactions in this fic were based on prompts and scenarios that were suggested by Margaret (@[mawaroomaru](http://mawaroomaru.tumblr.com/)) and Elliot (@[trashy-punk](http://trashy-punk.tumblr.com/))! They were actually sent as drawings requests hahaha but thank you very much for the inspiration!!


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